Sheffield dumpster diver arrested after police chief spots her

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SHEFFIELD, Ala. (WHNT) - Donation bins put out by non-profit charities could be considered their life-line when it comes to supporting a cause.

But far too often police say, those who don’t need help – help themselves to the bins contents for their own benefit.

On Sunday afternoon, Sheffield Police Chief Greg Ray said he was driving past Loaves and Fishes on Hatch Boulevard when he noticed a car pulled up next to the donation bins out front.

When he came back through an hour and a half later, Ray said the car and its driver was still there.

“Her car was just loaded to the top with items,” explained Chief Ray. “And I sat there for probably five minutes and watched her, and she just continuously took stuff out of bins and loaded it up in her car.”

Being off-duty at the time, Chief Ray said he called his department to send officers to check the woman and find out what she was doing.

When officers arrived they found an estimated $800 worth of merchandise from the donation bins was packed into the car of 46-year-old Kimberly Lynn Coe.

Chief Ray said it was obvious to him Coe did not need the clothing and other items found.

He said Kimberly Coe was dressed nice and driving an almost new car.

“When you basically steal like that, stuff you don’t need, obviously don’t need, you are taking food out of someone’s mouth and that’s crazy,” stated Ray.

Only speculating, Ray believes Coe was planning on selling the items that were taken from the bins.

Kimberly Coe was arrested at the scene on an unrelated theft warrant in the city of Sheffield.

Chief Greg Ray says they plan to present the most current theft case to an upcoming Colbert County grand jury.

3 comments

SheffieldResident

Actually the only thing the Chief had to do with this was observe. He sat at the liquor store next door (where his wife works) and watched the woman for an hour. Then he calls another officer to come deal with it. Some leader those officers have there.